Circuit-closer for clock-winding mechanism



(No Model.)

J. W. DU LANEY. CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR CLOCK WINDING MECHANISM.

No. 461,424. Patented O0t.20, 1891.

Willi T88 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES IV. DU LANEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR CLOCK-WINDING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,424, dated October 20, 1891.

Application filed May 18, 1891. Serial No. 392,557. (No model.)

J '0 (M5 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES W. DU LANEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented.certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clock-Winders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for automatically winding up clocks by means of electricity; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, whereby the electric circuit is completed periodically and caused to actuate the winding mechanism.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of the clock with the front part of the case removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the escapement-wheel and pallet.

A is the frame of the clock. A is the barrel-shaft, and a is a pinion on the barrelshaft. B is the train of driving-wheels, of which the said pinion a forms a part. 0 is the escapement-wheel, and c is the escapement-wheel shaft. D is he pallet, which engages with the escapement-wheel, and d is the pallet-shaft, journaled in the insulatingbushes 61', supported by the frame A. A toothed pinion b is secured on the escapement-wheel shaft and forms a part of the train of wheels B. All of the above-mentioned parts and the remaining parts of the clock, which are not shown and described, may be of any approved form and construction.

E is a contact-tooth secured to the escapement-wheel and arranged out of line with the teeth of the said Wheel. This tooth E corresponds in form with the teeth of the escapement-wheel and takes the place of a tooth with which the wheel would be provided at that part of its periphery if the tooth E were not used.

A plate of insulating material 6 is secured to one end of the pallet D and is adapted to come in contact with all the teeth of the wheel O, including the tooth E. A second plate of insulating material 6 is secured to the opposite end of the pallet D. This plate 6 is narrower than the plate a andis adapted to come in contact with the regular series of teeth of the wheel C only and to permit the tooth E to come in contact with the uninsuiated portion of the pallet. Itisnot material to which end of the pallet the narrow plate is secured.

F is a battery, and G is an electro-magnet. F is a wire which connects the battery with the pallet-shaft (Z, and f is awire which connects the battery with the electro-magnet. A wire f connects the elec'tro-magnet with the clock-frame, so that the escapementwheel and the contact-tooth E are always included in the circuit. The pallet D is also always included in the circuit; but there is no electrical connection between the pallet and the escapement-wheel except once in each revolution of the said escapement-wheel, when the tooth E comes in contact with the uninsulated portion of one end of the pallet.

The winding mechanism may be of any approved construction adapted to be actuated by the electro-magi'iet. In the construction shown in the drawings II is the armature of the electro-magnet, secured to one end of the bell-crank lever 71, which is pivoted on the shaft h. I is a ratchet-wheel secured on the barrel-shaft A, and i is a radius-link pivoted on the said shaft.

K is a check-pawl. A link It is pivoted to the radius-link and to the end j of the bellcrank lever It by the pins and the said pawl J engages with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel.

\Vheuever the contact tooth E touches that portion of the end of the pallet not covered by the insulating-plate c it completes the electric circuit. The battery excites the electro-magnet and causes the armature to be attracted. This motion of the armature operates the winding mechanism and winds up the niainspring on the barrel-shaft for the amount it had run down since the electric circuit was last completed by the tooth E, and thereby keeps the mainspring of the clock at a substantially uniform tension.

The contact-tooth E may be duplicated, if desired, to wind up the clock oftener than once for each revolution of the escapementwheel.

I do not claim the winding mechanism, as the same, together with one specific form of J is a gravity-pawl pivoted- 'ou the pin '6, projecting from the radius-link.

the contact mechanism, is claimed in a separate application filed February 12, 1891, Serial No. 381,142.

\Vhat I claim is' l. The combination, with the escapementwheel provided with a space for a tooth, of a contact-tooth secured opposite the said space and out of line with the teeth of the said esca )ement-wh eel, an insulated escapementpallet included in the circuit With the escapement-wheel and coi1tact-tootl1,and the insulating material secured to the pallet and adapted to wholly insulate all the teeth of the escapement-wheel from the pallet and to permit the said contact-tooth to make the connection periodically with one end of the pallet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the escapementwheel provided with a contact-tooth out of line with its series of teeth, but otherwise included in the said series, of an insulated escapement-pallet included in the circuit with the said escapement-Wheel, and insulating material interposed between all the escapement-Wheel teeth and the pallet and permitting the said cor tact-tooth to make the connection periodically with one end of the pallet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES V. DU LANEY.v 

